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donthompson

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Everything posted by donthompson

  1. I can’t provide better information than what is quoted below. I’ve never rotated, don’t plan to rotate, and I check the air pressure in the spare before I leave home. It’s unlikely to lose much air pressure in a month or two which is usually the length of my trip. I’ve never had an issue with TPMS systems in my cars and that provides confidence in the Dill product which is the same or quite similar to what auto manufacturers install in new vehicles. I’m also reassured by the fact that Dill has been in business for more than 100 years. Finally, I purchased the system from TireRack. TireRack and eTrailer have been the two best companies for customer service I’ve dealt with in the automotive/camper world.
  2. The Dill system arrives tomorrow with an install scheduled for Wednesday. I like the idea of having the TPMS sensors inside the tires like the ons that are standard on my tow vehicle. I’ve been tempting fate for a couple of years—decided it’s time to add this safety feature. $279.00 from TireRack for the 4-tire system.
  3. Has anyone tackled this maintenance task yet? I have it on my list to do this spring. I'm a little intimidated even after reading John's helpful description of the process. Don
  4. I’d like to do both! Looks like we’ll have free time on Saturday and Monday afternoons. Don
  5. Hi John, I've spent a lot of time exploring the high country around Lake City, Ouray and Silverton. I've never tried to explore the jeep trails in my Touareg. Instead, I've rented Jeep Wranglers. Rarely do I see anything but Jeep Wranglers on the trails and when I have, the driver was either paralyzed with fear or during my last trip, high-centered and stranded. I've included some photos below I took on June 23 in 2016. Note the amount of snow! If you visit Ouray, drive to Orvis Hot Springs in Ridgeway. Beautiful hot springs. You can camp there too--just in a parking lot, but when you pay to camp you have access to the hot springs. Be prepared--it's a clothing optional place. Don
  6. I also enjoy camping in remote areas without hookups, but that last photo posted by Overland shows some rocks I'd prefer to avoid! Last October, I visited the factory for some upgrade work. I left late in the day to travel to Rock Island State Park in Tennessee. I was using Google Maps to navigate and I missed a turn. Rather than trying to find a place to turn around and backtrack (I found myself on a very narrow hard-surfaced county road) I decided to keep going anticipating that Google Maps would adjust to my error without causing any difficulties. That was a mistake and marked the beginning of a two-hour 20-mile adventure. The road quickly changed and I found myself on a narrow dirt track winding my way up into the hills. Darkness came and the dirt track became narrower and rocky. I lost cell phone service and the only houses along the track (there were only two or three) looked like places used for nefarious purposes (I was thinking meth labs) so I didn't want to stop to ask directions or for help getting the Ollie out of a jam. Luckily, the Elite II is only 7' wide and my Touareg is just under 6 1/2' wide. I passed through some very narrow spots where the brush rubbed both sides of the Touareg so I knew the Oliver was getting a little more attention from the brush. Luckily, after about 2 hours, I had found my way down the hills to a two-lane blacktop and cell phone coverage that allowed me to get back on the track to the state park. It reminded me of a trip when I was a child. My parents, my two older sisters and I drove from Nebraska to Arkansas to pick up a new boat--I think it was called an Arkansas Traveler. My mother was in the front seat navigating. I was in the back seat between my two older sisters, one of whom was in college. She somehow dropped a cigarette in the inside of a rear door of the car and started a smoldering fire. My mom gave my father terrible directions and we ended up on a narrow dirt track that my father eventually had to drive back with the boat and trailer behind the car. He had to back up a mile or so. Not a happy fellow! Anyway, the lesson I've learned from these two experiences is to scout the route when it looks like the going could get pretty rough. Much like scouting rapids on the river in my whitewater kayaking days. There's nothing worse than to find yourself in Class V rapids with Class III paddling skills!
  7. Hap is absolutely right! If at all possible, spend 4-7 days camping within 200 miles or so of the factory after picking up you Oliver. Camp at 2-3 campsites so you put some towing miles in and go through the procedures for setting up and breaking down camp multiple times. Even if you don't find mechanical items that require your return to the factory before you tow your Olliver home, you will discover additional questions that the people at the factory can better explain in person! Don
  8. Paul and Donna, Welcome! You're going to enjoy a very fine camper. One thing to keep in mind is how often you plan to travel with your Ollie and how long you'll be on the road when you're out and about. What people take with them when they are full-timers will probably include many things you won't need if you take 2-3 trips per year and your trips are usually 2-3 weeks long. I tend to be a minimalist. I traveled to London, Sicily, Tuscany, and Marche last spring (not with the Oliver!). I was gone for 6-weeks and managed with a small carry-on roller bag (21.7” x 13.7” x 9” Weight 7 lbs. Capacity 38L Dimensions include wheels) and a small daypack. In 2017, I traveled 4 times with my Ollie. I took a long trip to Big Bend NP and other places in January/February for a little less than a month, a couple of trips to Minnesota that each lasted less than a week, and a trip to Hohenwald and points south for about a week and a half. In 2016, I was gone about 2 weeks when I picked up my new Elite II, took two big trips (about a month each) to the mountains of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, and 3 or 4 short (less than a week) trips. I carry what I need and have discovered that I don't need much. I now travel with fewer clothes than I did when I started, for example. However, I've added an outdoor stove and table in addition to the small grill I traveled with on my first trip. I always take at least one bike depending on where I'm headed. When you talk to people about what they carry and why, make sure you ask about how frequently they travel, where they go and how long they stay on the road. Compare what they tell you to how you plan to travel. The Elite II is a great camper, but it's small and has limited storage. If you don't like clutter, be judicious about what you carry! Don
  9. Stan, the aluminum base is from the new Oliver rack. There are a number of posts about this new rack with photos. There are two channels bolted to the top of the surface behind the bumper on the Oliver and the new rack slides into these channels and is secured by bolts. Very stable and secure. I don’t know what Oliver will charge for the new rack without the Thule components, but I paid $300 for the Thule components and $100 for the welding, etc. Not an inexpensives solution, but a good one. No travel plans until I leave for the Oliver Rally. I decided to enjoy winter in Iowa this year! I’m doing a lot of cycling in the snow and cold on my fat tire bike and I really enjoy hanging out in Iowa City in the winter. After the rally, I plan to go to Chattanooga, Ashviile, and maybe Greensboro (friends to visit there). I’m researching good places to cycle and to hear music. Will probably be on the road for 30-45 days. Haven’t decided what to do this fall. Tentative plan is to arrive in th bigh country of Colorado in late August and spend September and maybe most of October in Colorado and Utah—more time in Utah than Colorado. Hope we can cross paths. Are you plannng to attend the rally?
  10. I have a question for people who have the new Oliver rack. Have you found a locking bolt or another form of lock to secure the bike rack frame to the Oliver?
  11. During a visit to the Oliver factory in October, I picked up the new bike rack without the Thule components installed. I had a local bike shop modify it by welding a new piece of aluminum to the Oliver bike rack frame. The bike shop ordered components from Thule that are part of the Thule T2 Classic bike rack. The components that Oliver uses will not accommodate fat-tire bikes. I plan to carry my Felt D30 fat bike that has 4" wide tires and my Salsa Cutthroat that has 2 1/4" tires so I needed something different from the rack Oliver offers. This modified rack will handle these bikes and even a skinny-tire road bike if I decide to travel with one in the future. The modification was pretty simple. The bike shop sent the Oliver frame to a welder who works with aluminum. He welded a new member in the middle of the rack as shown in the first photo. The Thule components are mounted on that new member. I've included photos I took when I picked up the completed rack at the bike shop showing how it looks like with a bike mounted. I've also included photos of the Thule T2 Classic bike rack that the components are from. I'm looking forward to traveling to the rally with my fat bike. The temperature will hit 14 to 15 below zero tonight here in Iowa. I rode my fat bike a couple of days ago after we received 4-5" of snow. It was about 13 degrees. The weather in Alabama will be much better!
  12. One piece of advice. If you carry a small vacuum with a rechargeable battery, don't leave it in an unheated Ollie during the winter. The battery in my "Shark" vacuum didn't survive its first winter. A replacement battery costs almost as much as a new vacuum, so I threw the whole thing out. Purchased a small auto detail vacuum from Griot's Garage online to replace it. It plugs in and with the solar package and inverter, I won't have this problem again. Don
  13. I've used this RF (wireless) brake controller since picking up my Elite II in March 2016. My experience was a little different from David's. Oliver actually purchased the controller and installed it before I arrived to pick up my Ollie. I tow with VW Touareg TDI and the pairing process wasn't difficult. I've towed many miles using this brake controller and I'm completely satisfied. While I've had some issues with the hand-control unit that you plug into the 12 volt receptacle (I think that's what we used to call the cigarette lighter receptacle), Tekonsha's customer service has been outstanding. They've replaced that hand-held unit quickly and without fuss at no charge twice. Note that the brake control works even if the hand-held unit isn't plugged in or isn't working. The hand-held unit is necessary, however, to adjust the braking level and you can also use it to apply the trailer brakes independently of the TV brakes to tame sway. I've never had to use mine for that purpose. Don
  14. Thanks for compiling the list! You have a question mark after IA in my line--I do live in Iowa. I'm no longer a golfer but I plan to bring a bike with me. If anyone is interested in riding, let's get a group together! Don
  15. How long has Grant owned and operated the newspaper? The fellow at the newspaper who invited us to visit and view documents was also the chair or president of the local historical society. Don
  16. Peter and Patty, Lake City, Colorado! My mother’s uncle ran the newspaper there many, many years ago. His last name was Furse. He died before I was born in 1949, but my family traveled from Nebraska to Lake City every summer for many years while I was growing up. We held a family reunion there 30-40 years ago and the fellow who owned the newspaper then invited us to visit and look through many historical documents relating to Mom’s uncle’s tenure at the newspaper. Many fond memories. I’ve camped in my Oliver at 10,400 feet at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah and many times at various locations between 5500 and 8500 feet. I’ve never experienced any problems with my windows and have never heard of an Oliver window exploding, cracking, etc. I’ve also camped when the temps have been in the 20’s. No problems with frost. Don
  17. John, As a solo camper and hiker drawn to remote places like the trails out of Dog Canyon at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, I too carry a Spot. You may want to share your experiences and expertise about this device. My outdoor/adventure retailer in Iowa City convinced me that I should have “extraction” insurance for medical emergencies while hiking in remote areas in the west. I discovered that the Spot subscription provides good insurance as well as a means of getting help in case of emergency. Don
  18. If you haven’t ever removed the rack from the back of your Oliver, I advise you to do so. I had the factory install the aluminum frame for the new bike rack recently (I plan to buy my own Thule components that will work with a fat bike). I had to remove mine for the Oliver to fit in my storage unit. I couldn’t get it to slide out by myself. A friend helped (with the aid of a rubber mallet). We discovered that Oliver had drilled the holes with the frame in place and left lots of debris in the channels. We removed the rack and thoroughly cleaned the channels. It now slides in and out with much less effort.
  19. Sorry to hear about Richie’s injury. While I have nothing negative to say about Richie and his short tenure in service, I’m very happy to hear that Jason has returned to the service manager position. My experiences with Jason since picking up my Oliver in March, 2016 have been very positive. He’s a very valuable part of the Oliver ownership experience.
  20. Sherry, I think a winter camping thread is a great idea! Don
  21. John, You're right--he was really talking about boondocking. I think I'll leave Iowa with the camper winterized. I'll have 3 20-liter and 1 10-liter Sceptre water cans. I'll keep the 10- liter can in the Ollie and the larger ones in the cargo area of the Touareg. I'll see how adaptable I am to using the Ollie without the fresh water tank, faucets and shower. As you know, I have the composting toilet. If I am ok with this style of winter camping, I think all I'll have to do when I return the camper to my unheated storage facility is to pour 2 cups of antifreeze in the two sinks and that's it. I'll heat water on the stove for dishwashing and personal hygiene. If anyone reads this post who has camped this way, please respond and let me know what your experience has been like. Don
  22. I’d like to talk to you about your approach to dry camping. My camper is winterized and I plan to leave for a 5-6 week trip in late January. I camped last winter but didn’t dry camp so I had to repeat the winterization process when I returned home in late February. If you’re willing to discuss how you approach dry camping, please send me a message on the forum with our phone number and I’ll call you. Thanks, Don
  23. I suggest that the Nature's Head Composting Toilet option should only be considered by owners with an anal "(b : of, relating to, characterized by, or being personality traits (such as orderliness, frugality, and obstinacy) considered typical of fixation at the anal stage of development : anal-retentive — often used in nontechnical contexts to describe someone as extremely or excessively neat, careful, or precise") personality. I'm one of them. I think you can identify the personality traits of the rest of the Oliver owners active on the forum who have opted for this solution. :) Don
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